Bravely Default Demo Trailer December 18, 2013
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A lot of classic RPG enthusiasts have been looking forward to the 3DS game Bravely Default to scratch the itch that the recent Final Fantasy games have not been able to subdue. Now, Nintendo has announced in their recent Nintendo Direct that they plan to release a Bravely Default demo in advance of the release of the full version of the game.
The biggest reveal about this announcement is that the Bravely Default demo will NOT be an adaptation from a scene from the game, and instead be a separate side story not included with the full version of the game. However, loot and other items you pick up during the demo can carry over to the full version of the game when it’s released. Let’s take a look.
Bravely Default will release February 7th, 2014 exclusively to the Nintendo 3DS. The demo will launch on the Nintendo eShop over a month earlier on January 2nd, 2014.
Mario Kart 8 Airport Trailer December 18, 2013
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The latest trailer for Mario Kart 8 was released today with the latest Nintendo Direct. Here’s a closer look at it.
The new airport race track looks amazing! When I first saw it, it reminded me of the game Aeroporter for the 3DS. But on top of showing this new track to race on, this trailer seems to confirm that Baby Peach, Baby Luigi, Baby Mario and Baby Daisy will be playable drivers on top of the already announced staple drivers of the series including Peach, Mario, Wario, Donkey Kong, Waluigi, and Luigi.
If you would like to check out our preview of the game from E3 2013, you can check it out here.
Mario Kart 8 is coming in 2014 exclusive to the Wii U.
Nintendo Direct 12/18/13 December 18, 2013
Posted by Maniac in Game News.1 comment so far
Just in time for the holiday season, Nintendo has released their latest promotional video directly to us. In it, the head honchos at Nintendo provide a lot of information about some upcoming unannounced games for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, more information on games that have already been announced, and show some surprises that even I wasn’t expecting. If you wanted to know what was next for Nintendo, you need to watch this video.
Expect more detailed analysis of a lot of this content throughout the day. Until then, check this out.
RPG Memories December 16, 2013
Posted by Maniac in Site Videos.2 comments
With the Holiday season right around the corner, Maniac decided the time was right to spend some time talking about his past. In this latest video (which is not really a Mind of Maniac), he talks about his first and favorite memories playing console RPGs, what games he played, and why they mean so much to him today.
You can check out MistareFusion’s YouTube Channel here. He’s got some great video reviews on his channel for things like the original 1940s Batman serials, Super Sentai series, and the musical 1776.
Pokémon X and Y 1.2 Update Released December 13, 2013
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Nintendo has released a second software update to Pokémon X and Pokémon Y. Dubbed Version 1.2, the update contains all of the fixes in the previous update, as well as several new fixes in the game resolving problems with Wonder Trade, internet connectivity issues, and Pokémon Trainer PR videos.
The fastest way to get these updates would probably be to download them manually at no charge through the Nintendo eShop. Simply run the Nintendo eShop application from any Wireless Hotspot or Nintendo Zone location and download the 1.2 updates from the Pokémon X and Y section of the eShop. There is no charge for either update and they are compatible with either the physical retail or digital downloadable versions of the game. Make sure to download the correct patch for your version of the game as there are separate patches for Pokémon X and Pokémon Y, and if you have both games you will need to download both patches.
You may need to update your Nintendo 3DS to its latest firmware to access the Nintendo eShop. The 1.2 update is required to play Pokémon X or Pokémon Y online after December 12th.
Pokémon X and Pokémon Y are out now exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS.
Pokémon Bank Release Date December 13, 2013
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Before Pokémon X and Pokémon Y launched in October of this year, Nintendo announced during a Pokémon Direct video that a new service called Pokémon Bank would be coming this month. Pokémon Bank would allow Pokémon players the ability to keep all their collected Pokémon from the current and older Pokémon games safe online. By keeping them online, it would ensure that the loss or destruction of a handheld device or game cartridge would not destroy a Pokémon Trainer’s Pokémon collection, and make it easier to bring Pokémon collected in earlier games to newer ones.
The Pokémon Company has released this helpful video on how this process will work and when we can expect the service to launch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTfSDbrskfE
Pokémon Bank will activate December 27th, 2013. The service will cost an annual fee of $4.99 US, but there will be a 30-day trial period for anyone who downloads the program before January 31st, 2014. You will need to download the Poké Transporter program to your Nintendo 2DS/3DS to transfer any Pokémon captured in the 5th Generation games to Pokémon Bank.
UPDATE: Due to the issues Nintendo was having with the eShop during Christmas, Nintendo has delayed the launch of Pokémon Bank in North America and has not provided a solid release date for when they plan to launch it. We will endeavor to keep readers posted when Nintendo announces the service’s new release date.
Mario Warfare Part 5 December 13, 2013
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The guys over at Beatdown Boogie have done it again. The filmamkers who previously made the cult classic Modern War Gear Solid have just released the fifth part of their latest series, Mario Warfare, which casts the Mushroom Kingdom and the two Italian plumber brothers in a completely different light. Let’s take a look.
Quantum Break VGX Preview December 13, 2013
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It’s been a few days since the webcast of the confusing VGX awards show, but now one of the biggest games previewed at that event has finally gotten that preview posted for all to see. Quantum Break is my highest anticipated Xbox One exclusive game, and developer Remedy was at the VGX this year to deliver this preview. If you had any questions about how the story or the gameplay of Quantum Break will play out, here is your answer. Take it away, Sam.
Also announced at the VGX was Remedy’s secret iOS project, which they promise will be a cross between action, strategy and role-playing with a focus on characters and story called Ages of Storm. That will be coming in early 2014 for the iPhone and iPad.
Quantum Break is coming exclusive to the Xbox One.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Unboxing December 12, 2013
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Maniac unboxes the latest Legend of Zelda game for the Nintendo 3DS. During the unboxing, he talks a lot about the previous games in the Legend of Zelda series including a sequel to A Link to the Past you might have never heard of.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is out now exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS.
Update: During the video above I made a comment about a short documentary produced by Clan of the Gray Wolf, which detailed the story of a sequel that was produced for The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, but was only released in Japan and broadcast through a satellite streaming service. If you wanted to know more about how this satellite broadcast game streaming service worked or the exclusive Legend of Zelda game that was released through it and since then has never been officially rereleased in any form, you can check out the video below which will answer all your questions.
McDonald’s One Hot Holiday Xbox One Giveaway Review December 10, 2013
Posted by Maniac in Reviews.1 comment so far
During the Xbox One launch event, Microsoft announced they were partnering with McDonald’s to do a major Xbox One promotion during the month of December. Well, the promotion has launched, and as I write this McDonald’s restaurants across the country are giving away Xbox prizes in celebration of the One Hot Holiday promotion and boy, have I got a lot to say about it. So, lets take a look and see how it stacks up, shall we?
First off, the rules to enter the promotion are pretty simple to understand, and McDonald’s had signs all over my local branch to inform me what I needed to do to play. If you order any Quarter Pounder sandwich, Medium French Fry, or Premium McWrap you will be given an entry piece eligible to win a prize in the promotion. The contest pieces are affixed to the item wrapper and can be pulled off as easily as the contest pieces from McDonald’s yearly Monopoly promotion can. Pull the game piece off the wrapper and it will inform you what you won.
Immediately this promotion scored points with me as my local McDonald’s was participating in it starting exactly when their website promised they would. This is in complete contrast to the Every2Minutes Mountain Dew promotion where nearly none of my local retailers offered marked Mountain Dew or Doritos products on shelves at a time when I needed to bank points early to be competitive in an auction system. The fact my local retailers sat on their hands twiddling their thumbs as the promotion went on was a huge detriment to the odds of me winning a prize. McDonald’s on the other hand wasted no time starting their promotion and marked promotional wrappers were readily available to interested players on time. All I needed to do was purchase a participating food item at my local McDonald’s and pull a game piece off the wrapper. It couldn’t be more convenient.
To redeem your winnings, you will need to go to McDonald’s One Hot Holiday official website from either your PC or portable device and submit to them your name, e-mail address and mailing information along with the unique code written on the game piece. Once McDonald’s verifies your contest entry is genuine, they will send you the download codes for whatever you won via e-mail. The website worked really well on my smartphone, and while I felt it asked for a bit too much personal information (for some reason it needed my entire mailing address), this only made the form longer to fill out and I was still able to submit my entry without issue. Collecting your winnings on the other hand can be an exercise in patience. McDonald’s does say it can take anywhere from 72 hours to ten days to verify a contest entry. It took about four days for me to receive my winnings via e-mail, but when they did eventually arrive they worked perfectly.
While McDonald’s and Microsoft has said they are giving away Xbox One consoles as a grand prize, that isn’t all you can win. McDonald’s is also giving away downloads for Xbox Live games, movies, and TV shows. In fact, McDonald’s promises that anyone who participates will win something. Typical lower tier prizes for the contest can include download codes for Xbox Live Arcade games like Ms. Splosion Man or The Maw. This also will score them some points with me, as I haven’t seen a promotion like that offer giveaways to everyone who played since the Subway Uncharted 3 contest a few years ago where everyone who played got access to the Uncharted 3 multiplayer beta. By offering free Xbox Live Games as a potential prize, this could end up being one of the most generous video game promotions in video game history!
If you’re interested in playing, head on down to McDonald’s right now! This is a fantastic promotion that offers Xbox players the chance to win an entirely new next-generation gaming console and some great downloadable titles. Check it out!
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